This invention relates to apparatus for producing self-mailers. More particularly, it relates to apparatus for printing, folding and sealing a form sheet to prepare a self-mailer.
Self-mailers, that is form sheets on which may be printed address information and message information and then folded and sealed to form a mail piece, are well known. U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,808; to: Kehoe, for: UNIT CONTAINING VARIABLE MESSAGES; issued: Dec. 7, 1976 discloses a form sheet which may be used to prepare a self-mailer. In the Kehoe patent, a form comprising a first portion which is folded about a second portion to form an envelope containing the second portion, on which a message may have been printed, is disclosed. In one embodiment taught by Kehoe, a web of paper stock is first printed, then appropriately cut and perforated, then adhesive is applied, then the web is folded along lines parallel to the direction of motion to form a continuous web of sealed envelopes, and the sealed envelopes cut to form separate mail pieces. While perhaps effective to produce great numbers of mail pieces from mainframe computer output, it is readily apparent that, particularly because of the manner in which the paper stock is folded and then separated, the equipment shown in Kehoe must be physically very large to prevent tearing of the paper stock during folding, as well as to provide for the additional steps of cutting and perforating and applying of adhesive. Kehoe does briefly disclose that single sheet forms may be printed on what Kehoe refers to as a computer-control copier, then folded and perforated and then placed in a window envelope. (Note Kehoe, Col. 7, lines 51-62). This clearly teaches away from the use of forms of Kehoe as a one-step self-mailer in an office environment.
U. S. Pat. No. 4,701,233; to: Beck et al.; for: METHOD FOR FOLDING AND SEALlNG SHEETS; issued: Oct. 20, 1987 discloses an apparatus for use with a facsimile system to assure privacy of a received document. A facsimile document is printed with message information in one portion and with the identity of the intended recipient in another portion, and then output to a folding and sealing apparatus. The document is then folded so that the message is not visible and the portion containing the identity is folded back to be visible. Means are provided in the apparatus of Beck et al. for selectively bypassing the folder sealer also.
While Beck et al. does produce a document which is folded and sealed, it does not, however, produce a self-mailer as contemplated by the subject invention since Beck et al. does not produce anything which could be considered an envelope surrounding the message portion.
U.S. Pat. No. pb 4,202,621; to: Yoshimura et al.; for: RECORDING DEVICE; issued: May 13, 1980 discloses a xerographic copier which selectively outputs oversized copies to a folder for folding for easier storage. Again, it is clearly apparent that Yoshimura et al. does not produce a self-mailer.
Thus, it is an object of the subject invention to provide an apparatus and method for printing, folding and sealing a form sheet to produce a self-mailer.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide such an apparatus and method which is suitable for use with a personal computer.
It is still another object of the subject invention to provide such an apparatus which is compact and suitable for use in an office environment.